The Dangers of a Bully
by Me Llamo Berry
Summary: The duo are now 15 years old, but it's all different. And Ferb... well... Rated for really dark themes.


Phin, a 15 year old boy, stared at his stepbrother of the same age. "Why are you always mute? Why can't you just talk to me!" he growled.

Ferb shrugged and turned to his room, which used to be the guest room.

Phin stared after him. "What did I say?" he asked his best friend, Isa.

She shrugged. "I don't know. He's been like this for a few years, remember? I mean... he became distant a few years ago..."

Phin punched the wall in frustration. "But he would talk to me then!"

Isa shrugged. "We've all changed, Phin. Remember all those things you two used to build?"

Phin nodded slowly and sighed. "Why did we have to become popular? I just want my brother back." He leaned against a wall and sank down as Isa hugged him.

Ferb had changed with a few notes, notes he didn't know weren't true. He stared at the most recent one, daring his tears to come.

_Oy Ferb! Did you know that Phin just called you gay earlier? No wonder you avoid him now. I think he hates you. I bet he wouldn't care if you just up and died. Oh... that would be wonderful! For all of us!_

_Bully._

Ferb shook his head, as if to clear it all away. As odd as it seemed, Bully was his only friend. Bully was truthful. No one else was. They all acted nice to him, and then turned around and stabbed him with words. Bully heard it all and told him.

Ferb silently hid the note among the others as he reached for his trusty piece of glass. It was a pretty shard of glass, swirled green, blue, and purple. A scrap from his attempt at a stained glass piece, always reminding him of how everyone pretended to like it, and how Bully told him how they wanted to destroy it.

But this piece of glass served a new purpose: release. The precious release Ferb needed. He locked his door so no one would come in during his nightly ritual, for that was what it had become.

He removed his shirt and took a breath. He looked down and stared at his scars, from the first mark to the ones from just the night before. Ferb sighed and twirled the piece around, contemplating. Should he mark his arms this time? Right by his shoulder? Or maybe his side?

The teen boy looked down and suddenly knew exactly what he was going to do today. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He brought the cool glass to his forehead for a moment before opening his eyes to watch the new design form around his belly button.

A circle, unbroken appeared, then it was slash through with a wide mark. Ferb watched the blood ooze from the wounds he inflicted. He let a happy sigh escape as the tension left him.

He gazed languidly at the other designs he had drawn... some were words... some were just marks to show his frustration... some told stories, stories he'd rather forget.

Ferb cleaned off his glass carefully before gingerly putting on a black shirt. Black so that the blood wouldn't get everywhere. He smiled with satisfaction. The blood wasn't slowing down yet. It wasn't clotting, and that gave the most wonderful feeling. He couldn't wait until tomorrow night, as always.

Nighttime was the only time he could draw his designs. This way no one knew. This way he was free.

With a small smile on his lips, he fell asleep.

However, he did not see the shocked platypus watching him. Perry had wanted to sleep with his other boy for the first time in a long time, so he snuck in... but he was not expecting this.

Ferb woke up at about 2 in the morning to find a new note.

_Yo, Ferbia, it'll be best for all of us if you committed suicide. Then nobody will have to complain about you, and we can all get on with our lives._

_Bully_

Ferb frowned as he read it, then nodded to himself. He sat at his desk, formulating the best note he could, and figuring out exactly how to commit suicide.

At four in the morning, he stood up and stretched. He slipped his note into his pocket before removing his shirt.

He eyed his scars and recently scabbed wounds. He grabbed his glass and in an almost frantic way, reopened every single scar. His chest was a myriad of reopened wounds, and it was dripping blood. Ferb grinned softly. Finally it would all end. Finally.

He unlocked the door and paused for a moment, looking over the mess he left his room in. He shrugged and turned around, leaving the door wide open.

Ferb stopped outside his brother's room, which always was open. He tiptoed over to the nightstand and slipped his note and a stack of papers onto it.

He hesitated as he looked down at his innocent brother. "You're my brother. Nothing ever changed about that, and I loved you as my brother... Still do," he whispered before leaving the room for the last time.

Perry jumped onto the bed as soon as Ferb left and began the difficult process of waking Phin up. Eventually, the boy groaned and sat up, turning on his lamp. He yawned, "What is it, Perry?" He froze when he saw papers that hadn't been there when he went to bed.

He grabbed the stack and stared at Ferb's note.

_To whoever in this messed up world cares:_

_I'm through. I hate my life. You can all stop pretending to like me now. Bully (who I did figure out is Buford) is the only nice person. He was nice enough to tell me the truth. The truth does hurt, but I needed to know. It's rather strange how Buford ended up being the only good guy in this story, isn't it? Well, I'm off to commit suicide. Have fun with the rest of your life._

_~Ferb_

_P.S. The other papers are the notes I received from Bully, in the order I received them._

Phin shook as the paper dropped out of his hands. "This can't be happening..." he whimpered, ignoring the rest of the notes. He knew what had happened. Buford had turned into a bigger bully than before and was making everything up. No one hated Ferb... they were worried.

Phin growled, "I'm going to kill Buford." He stood up suddenly, realizing there was more important things to do. Such as find his brother before he actually killed himself!

He picked up Perry and ran out of his room, not caring whether he woke his parents up or not. He was just in time to see Ferb bike off down the road. Phin grabbed the nearest bike and plopped the platypus into the basket before hurrying to save his brother.

Ferb was unaware that he was being followed. He didn't know that Bully had tricked him. He didn't know that Phin really did care.

All he knew was that he felt... at peace for the first time in years. It didn't matter anymore. It was over. He just needed to make it to the beach.

Phin was not as strong a biker as his brother, so when he arrived at the beach, his brother was not in sight. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed, racing down the sand to find the green hair of his brother.

Phin forgot all about Perry, who had contacted O.W.C.A. For some strange reason, Major M decided it would be alright if Agent P interfered with this. After all, Agent P was retiring... when everyone else was awake..

Meanwhile, Ferb had closed his eyes and fought the urge to return to the surface. He ignored the pain of his wounds and focused instead on the peace he had found with the decision. His body was feeling sluggish... it was time for him to sleep.

Phin dove into the water and searched frantically. His green-haired brother was no where in sight. He took a deep breath and searched underwater. He came up with a gasp before swimming to where he last saw his brother.

Agent P followed on his hovercraft. He was chattering worriedly. He was worried for Ferb, and he was worried for Phin. He watched attentively as Phin struggled to get his brother out.

Realizing that Phin would need some help in this current, he flew over. He took out his life saver thing and tossed it down, making sure that one end of the rope was attached to it.

He peered through the gloom to see if Phin and Ferb were attached. As soon as they were, he pushed the button that would automatically lift them to the hovercraft. Perry watched anxiously as Phin checked to see if Ferb was breathing.

Phin sighed in small relief. "He's still breathing... but shallowly..." he muttered to himself as he shook his brother. He gasped at the sight of all the blood.

Perry moved over to help Phin. The boy gaped, but said no word as the platypus helped. When they reached the beach, they collapsed for a moment.

Phin went back to watching Ferb worriedly. After a few minutes of silence, he began to bawl. "Don't leave me Ferb... Don't... Please... don't... I need you!"

Ferb felt like he was floating on air. It was a wonderful feeling, and he was full of peace. He saw a light shining in the distance, a mile away. He smiled serenely and started floating over there.

Phin failed to notice the crowd that had gathered, and that Perry was acting normally again, curled up against Ferb. He was too focused on the fact that _his_ brother... his _brother _was dying and he couldn't do a thing about it.

He sprawled across Ferb's body, sobbing. "I wanna die too Ferb... take me with you," he whimpered inaudibly. His hand closed on the glass that Ferb had used.

Phin brought it up to his eyes and marveled at its beauty. With no sign of life from Ferb, he stabbed his own arm. His eyes watered, but he made sure it bled as he removed the glass. He breathed heavily as he stabbed his other arm.

Ferb was almost to the light when the scene taking place just outside his body appeared below. He stopped to see who had found his body. He stared at the sight. There was a huge crowd of people... his parents among them, crying. He found Buford being beat up by Baljeet and Isabella. Candace was egging them on, Stacy and Jeremy by her side. He searched the crowd for his brother, but he couldn't find him.

Then the view shifted.

There was his body, breathing shallowly, and soaking wet. Perry was curled up next to Ferb's head, and he could have sworn that the platypus was crying.

But that wasn't what had his attention. His attention centered on the boy who was next to him. Phineas. His hair was drooping, but his brother didn't care. Tears streamed down his face, but he didn't care.

Then Ferb saw what Phineas had in his hand... saw the blood dripping from two wounds, saw Phineas mark a line of red across his face.

And then... he heard it. "Ferb... Don't die... I can't live without you." Ferb watched as his breathing slowed. He looked up briefly. He could almost touch the light. But there was Phineas... "I never made fun of you. I never said anything bad. I just want my brother back." Phineas choked on his tears. Ferb frowned. He had a choice. He could go back or he could stay here, in peace. The light was right there with peace, but so was Phineas... with distress.

In his body, his breath became almost non-existent. Phineas howled with grief before bringing the piece of pretty glass up to his neck. Ferb knew at that moment he had to go back. He couldn't let his brother die.

Phin closed his eyes tightly as he lay on Ferb's body. The piece of glass barely touching his neck. He took a deep breath and...

"No..." Ferb whispered hoarsely. Phin dropped the glass in shock.

"Ferb?" he asked, hardly daring to believe it.

Ferb opened his eyes wearily and watched his brother stare. "Phineas..."

All at once, Phineas started crying as he hugged his brother tightly. He forgot that Ferb was bleeding. He forgot that he was bleeding. All that mattered was that his brother was alive.

Ferb closed his eyes and everything felt right in the world as Perry chattered into his ear and Phineas hugged him.

He couldn't help but trace Phineas's wounds with sadness. His brother didn't stop crying and Ferb found himself crying for the first time in years.

Despite the fact that he was alive, he felt at peace with the world.


End file.
